Lynne Symons

INTRODUCTION

I was a principal for twenty-four years including being the principal of a special school, the behaviour management school for South Australia, a metropolitan secondary school, girls school and the foundation principal for eight years of Ocean View B-12 College. Ocean View was one of the models for Mark Oliphant College.

From 2009 until 2016 I was the foundation principal of Mark Oliphant College B-12 (MOC) . www.moc.sa.edu.au

Prior to my appointment as a principal I held a variety of leadership roles both in schools and at district and state level.

After my last tenure as a principal was completed at MOC I became the Principal Leadership Consultant in the South Australian Institute of Educational Leadership (Department of Education and Child Development, South Australia).

During my tenure I developed and established the successful

Leadership Advisor program- recruiting and organizing the appropriate training for successful current and retired leaders such that they could become Leadership Advisors (Coaches) for those newly appointed to the principalship. By mid 2017 all new site leaders in public schools in SA were now being supported in this structured systemic manner.

Professional Acceleration Program- in response to the significant number of high school principal positions that were unfilled in 2015 and the over twenty schools with secondary students that were seeking new principals in 2016/2017 a program was designed to encourage and develop deputy principals and senior leaders such that they would be more prepared for the principalship and would be successful applicants. Twenty two candidates began the program in April 2016 and over half have won principal positions with three more winning other promotion positions – a success rate of 75%.

I had been passionate about establishing these two programs as I saw their success as a “full stop” to my career. After six months I had seen them successfully embedded in the system and I determined it was time to follow another dream to see if I could now influence education from outside the system and as such Make Learning Better was born.

Lynne Symons PSM

August 2016

AWARDS

In January 2012 MOC was awarded the status of an Apple Distinguished School – the first public school in SA awarded that honour. The status was maintained every year after during my tenure.

In October 2012 I was awarded the Inspirational Leader of the Year for the SA Public Teaching Awards.

In January 2013 I was awarded a Public Service Medal for Education.

In June 2015 MOC was named as one of the 40 most innovative schools in Australia.

In November 2015 I was presented with the National Honorary Award from the Children’s University Australia in recognition outstanding commitment (to establishment and development)

In October 2016 I was awarded by the Principal’s Australia Institute a John Laing Award for leadership in Professional Development.

QUALIFICATIONS

Bachelor of Science (Hons- First Class) (University of Adelaide)

Master of Science (University of Adelaide)

Diploma of Education (University of Adelaide)

Certificate in Management and Organizational Leadership (Management and Research Centre)

Mentoring for Effective Teaching Trainer (TEDD -Queensland University of Technology)